‘Bickering and mistrust’ lands combined authority on government watchlist

“Bickering and mistrust” among the Bristol region’s political leaders has landed the West of England Combined Authority on a government watchlist.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) said it is “keeping a close eye” on how the organisation responds to a damning report by external auditors who effectively ordered them to “stop fighting, play nicely and heal their strained relationships.”

The authority unanimously approved an action plan in December to fix the issues but it has now emerged that the DLUHC has placed Weca on alert.

It follows a series of high-profile bust-ups, name-calling, dysfunctional public meetings with hours-long intervals, and a meeting boycotted by the three council leaders.

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “We wish to see a robust, wide-ranging review which diagnoses the issues in the authority and, where possible, provide assurance on the action plan and its delivery.

“This will then inform whether any further action is necessary.”